Hello I'm Monica Reinagle and you're listening to the nutrition divas quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Dr Ellen Hendrickson of QDT's new savvy psychologist podcast is my guest this week.

We're continuing our series on the relationship between food and mood.

On last week's Nutrition Divaa show we talked about strategies for

using food to boost your mood and then on last week's savvy psychologist show

Ellen and I talked about the ways in which our state of mind can affect our food choices.

And this week, Ellen's got some really great information on nutrients that can help fight depression,

as well as ways that psychology can help support weight loss.

Please also check out Alan's podcast, The Savvy Psychologist, for more tips on how you can use psychology

to be happier and healthier.

So a higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids,

such as those found in fish and flax seeds, has been correlated with a lower risk of depression.

But what if you already suffer from depression?

Does evidence support omega-3s as a therapy

to alleviate depression, either alone or in combination with

medications. So correlation does not imply causation was drilled into my head

during my research training to the point that I probably mumble it in my sleep.

That said, yes, the evidence does play out in favor of omega-3s as a supplemental treatment boost for those

on antidepressant medication.

So the American Psychiatric Association even has an omega-3 fatty acid subcommittee,

and they recommend that individuals with a mood disorder

should consume one gram of EPA plus DHA every day.

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